What's up everypony! WeAreBorg here with my last followup for season 7 with episode 24, "Uncommon Bond". If you like Trixie, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Maud, and a dash of Twilight, this is the episode for you. Sethisto was going to do the followup but fell into a comatose state of happiness after watching it.
Join me below for Starlight gettin' weird, Trixie in chains, Maud dropping Boulder, Twilight acting adorable, and Sunburst bein' a playa.
Borg's Moral Lesson time: People grow up and change but don't do weird stuff to try and reconnect with your childhood friends.
Oh and DON'T SOLVE FRIENDSHIP PROBLEMS WITH MAGIC. STARLIGHT THAT MEANS YOU, YOU REDICULOUS MARE.
Simple! Let's get to it!
Isn't this exciting? Are you excited? 'Cause I'm excited, I've never been so excited, well, except for the time that I saw you walking into town and I went - [gasps] But I mean, really, who can top that?
Who is this pony? I think I saw her somewhere from another episode. Maybe she's making a cameo from Equestria Girls. I don't know. Moving on...
Crystal ponies on tour at Ponyville trying to see if Twilight's crystal tree castle is better than the Crystal Empires castle.
In another frame you can see through the train window, you can see Ms. Peachbottom from Mustangia about to get on the train.
Why it's Diamond Tiara's crystal pony doppelganger!
If there was any doubt what the building next to the 4' 8.5" spaced rails shooting into the horizon was, it's a train station as labeled by the tiny hanging sign. Also, if rails are 4' 8.5" and you believe the old Roman Chariot legend, then Equestria has some twisted history. I'll let you Google that one.
Also Sunburst! We haven't seen you since Starlight's graduation ceremony in first episode of the season.
Here, let Starlight help you with your luggage...
One of the most powerful unicorns in all of Equestria and she can't lift this bag of books. If Starlight has roughly the same power as unicorn Twilight, then this bag of books is heavier than an Ursa Minor.
Also, why does he have a kite...or half a kite?
Furthermore, that luggage cart has 3 wheels and infuriates me.
Yeah, that looks like Rarity's luggage stack where ever she goes. Like I'm rather sure Sweetie Belle carried just as much of Rarity's luggage up a mountain as we see here.
After wasting the whole day moving luggage for your, like, week-long stay...
If you didn't catch it, the bricks are visual mirrors of each other. Haber and Lappin teaming up for one of the weirdest episodes of the season. Weird in a good way people. Flame me in comments for my Scootabuse not the because I called your favorite episode weird.
Also, I have Starlight's reaction to antiquing too. Though in like 40 years or so, there will be more bongs in antique shops. Makes you think, doesn't it?
Let's randomly run into somepony...
Twilight Sparkle, funny seeing you here. It's not really. After dragging Cadance to a Starswirl the Bearded fest, I'm not at all surprised at her liking antiques in general.
Also, Twilight's telescopes are much bigger. Size matters...
Like our map made by Earth ponies of the Mighty Helm? I see pyramids, a Parthenon, a pagoda and various ruins from different ancient cultures. Cool stuff.
Let's take a wider shot...
This episode has a few montages of Sunburst hanging out with Starlight's friends. Here are her faces during said montage with Twilight.
Good thing they leave the shop so Starlight can hang out with Sunburst again...
Oh, wait. Just kidding. More old stuff. Presumably some he brought with him even...
Okay, so I really wanted a gif of Starlight spinning this spoon but didn't have enough time to make one so if someone can I'll put it here instead.
Anyway, let's break the montage and get some dialog...
Hey, what an interesting barrel. What a different episode it would have been if they had opened it and gone through the contents. Popular blind buys are those Storage Wars type auctions when they buy some schmucks stuff out of a storage locker after they don't pay the bill but really have no clue what's in them. You find some strange stuff in a storage locker.
Anyway, Twilight spouts off "pliht forsettan pliht" which is Old Ponish Middle English and seems to translate literally as "risk prevents risk" as in a current, calculated risk can prevent a future less pleasant risk. For example, can I get up from my computer right now and go into the kitchen to eat something and risk waking up the baby, or should I risk being uncomfortably hungry? As Sunstone translates it, "Reward prefers risk" i.e. you'll not be rewarded for taking the easy road.
I'm going to get a cookie...
Hey, so the Princess of Friendship finally picks up on Starlight's mood and gets Sunburst back on track to hang with Starlight. It's interesting now when Twilight is the mature one.
So what does Starlight want to do?
Dope. "Dragon Pit". A game with dragons is always a great game in my book. Let's check it out.
So board-games are not my forte so while I recognize the concept behind the dragon traps "capturing other players based on the roll of another", I can't quite place a real-world equivalent. I'm sure someone in the comments can. See below. Knowing the fandom, someone will make one. I'd buy it.
OR HASBRO IF YOU'RE READING THIS I WILL BUY ONE! (sometimes they read here)
Also, that die is huge. I guess it's easy to handle for fingerless hooves...
Here it is! Fireball Island by Milton Bradley from 1986. Thanks to Shallow15 in the comments for the link!
"That's adorable." Said the most adorable pony.
I question the randomness of spinning a die with one's telekinesis. I guess he's showing off he can now use his horn more precisely now? Must be a big step for a unicorn who sucks at casting.
Let's trap a dragon...
Marble spewing fun for the whole family! Warning small parts. Choking hazard.
While I think this was a bit of an overreaction, it is adorable...
Twilight blush for your enjoyment! Also, way to ruin the game Twilight. Starlight is going to spend the rest of the episode flipping out because you ruined this game.
"I like you right here. In the friend-zone."
Self-conscious Sunburst is self-conscious. Also, Starlight needs to learn some personal boundaries with her stallion friends. Like, we like to sleep when we are on vacation.
"Can you go?"
"But why?"
"Because I'm a guy and it's the morning."
Behold the glorious Sweet Apple Acres trees and their apples. Starlight, you should steal some.
Which she can do because she is a pro apple bucker.
Sir Issac Trixie everypony.
"Current best friend..." Trixie wouldn't be Trixie without a little bit of jealousy rearing its head. Let's start the show...in this show...
Trixie must be made of squishy stuff because I don't know if I could do a performance after sleeping on the ground under a tree. Like I'd have to peel out my contacts that I'd slept in and get the bugs out of my clothes and pop some aspirin. Random thought: If ponies wore contacts they would be freaking huge, like hoof sized.
Anyway, allow me to attempt to not make an adult joke in the next scene...
Sunburst to the rescue...
It makes sense that Sunburst would be into stage magic like this since he's so bad and actual unicorn magic casting. I imagine it made him feel better in some dark points in his life when he felt utterly useless. But not as useless as Scootaloo. <3
Sunburst makes all the mares giggle.
It's hilarious that Sunburst and Trixie spend their whole montage being bad at prestidigitation. Starlight's facehoof is priceless.
Anyway, Starlight gets the right idea for a second and trys to reconnect with Sunburst over magic...
Oh hey its the mirror pool. I love Glim Glim's whole monologue about, hey, maybe they shouldn't be there and maybe shouldn't have removed that huge rock blocking the entrance that weighs less than Sunburst's luggage.
Yeah, she thought about using the mirror pool. She seriously considered it.
Anyway, what's that noise?
Hey look is Dr. Maud Pie visiting from her cave she moved into a while back. There's no way Sunburst and rock pony have anything in common...
...except rocks apparently. So he's actually not talking about the purple mineral here but instead the surrounding metamorphic rock and while no one familiar with basic geology should be able to confuse Slate, Phyllite, and Gneiss (yeah it sounds like "nice"), a college student cramming for their Geology 101 class they have to take because they flunked out of chemistry, might have trouble remembering Shale transforms into Slate then further into Phyllite, then into Schist which is funny to say, and then into Gneiss.
Metamorphic rock like Gneiss can contain minerals like this purple rock in a less cartoony quantity than we see in the show such as Garnet or Cordierite (pictured above), also known as Lolite which is the name of every bad OC from the Steven Universe fandom.
Yeah, Starlight recognizes a montage when she see's one coming. Might as well get out now. Sad Starlight is sad.
Sunburst loves all the not-Starlight mares. Also, I want to question the amount of radioactivity coming from these gems. Is this how Earth equines evolved to be colorful, self-aware, and shoot lasers out of their head?
Absolutely.
This is Maud's happy face. The many faces of Maud
Okay, so this bugs me. You never should jack with a stalactite since they are constantly forming.
Anyway, montage over. Let's check back with Glim Glam...
This sad little shrug here I had to rewatch a few times. It's adorable. Starlight has a point here that a friend who came to see her is spending a lot of time with other ponies. It's cool to make new connections and meet new people but don't forget who you came for.
Let's have Twilight offer some advice...
That's right Purple Smart, Purple Comrade has magic in common with Sunburst. They should go magic together and let the sparks fly. What could go wrong...
This is things going wrong. Way to use magic to solve a problem. Also, remember Starlight can either travel back in time or manifest a house and other crazy magic that not even Twilight attempted when fighting Trixie with the alicorn amulet, but she can't grow Rarity's mane.
What does Sunburst think of her new trick?
Warning: side effects may include unwanted shrinkage.
Look how pleased with herself she is. It's fun using magic on ponies against their will.
Hey look it's almost as Sunburst feels violated. Is there an ethics class Starlight should maybe have taken in unicorn school?
I want you to stare into the cute, sad filly eyes, see those tears and feel something deep inside. It's the Mountain Dew and Cheetos.
What does Twilight think of this misadventure...
Yeah, she's, one, a little disturbed and, two, not surprised. Time for Sunburst to visit Starlight's friends again to spend all day with them figure out what they have in common.
Let's visit Trixie first...
"Duh, she likes your flank," said Starlights 'current best friend', "though I am quite impressive."
Let's watch a magic trick.
Those legs are gross. Trixie needs to hit up the laundromat. Throw her freaky pony legs into the washer.
Good times. I love how Trixie accurately lists off all the things that Starlight and she have in common like making "poor choices". Anyway, Sunburst seemingly did not make poor choices and did not run and hide in the Crystal Empire.
Let's go talk to Maud.
I think a big moment here for Sunburst is his realization of losing Starlight as a friend isn't what he wants. It's also pretty much the moral of the episode slapped in your face.
Anyway, Boulder lookin' handsome by Maud's hooves...
Boulders lookin' handsome by Maud's hooves...
Thought I'd say it twice...
I love this reaction from Twilight at Starlight's use of magic to solve her problems. This is exactly how weird it was and should feel. Like that was really weird what Starlight did. "Childhood home and bodies" does not really belong in a sentence together.
So looks like Sunburst realized they shared a love of magic in common and set up cool magic research and experiments still vaguely like playing a foal's game and desecrated some books and made some costumes to play a larger version of said game. He also did not invite Spike because that would have been culturally insensitive.
Additionally, while pumice is indeed extremely light for a rock, judging by the size of the ponies in relation and guessing at 2 cubic feet of stone, that sucker would still weigh 80 pounds. Take that scientific accuracy in a kids show!
Imma go reevaluate what I'm doing with my life after this followup...
These costumes are great. I bet I see a bunch of these at cons latter on. Twilight looks cute as a dragon. There's a fanfic about that.
What does Glimmers think about it?
Ah, she sent Sunburst to the next life. Show 'em how you really feel....
They are all laughing at Starlight for not remembering there's another floor between them and the bottomless pit. Oh well.
Obligatory Lyra and Bon Bon.
"As long as we enjoy each others company." True friendship right here ponies. Learn from it.
Foreshadowing...
Your voice actors everypony!
Alrighty everypony, I hope you enjoyed "Uncommon Bond" and liked the followup. Have some Starlight Glimmer faces that were in the episode!
Feel free to copy/paste your pre-written reviews in the comments that all start with "I said all this before but..." and I'll be sure to ignore them!
For everyone else tell us what you thought or what I missed and beware spoilers of the finale if you've not seen it yet.
For Scootabuse complaints, visit my Twitter @WeAreBorgPony
